Radiator cap for automobiles



June 24, 1924. 11,498,547

H, Y. HOOPER RADIATOR GAP FOR UTOMOBILES Filed Aug. 16. lzz

Patented .lune 24, 1924.

HENRY YERBURY HOOPER, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

RADIATOR CAP FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application led August 16, 1922. Serial No. 582,115.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY YERBURY HoorER, a citizen of the United States, residing in East Orange, inthe State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Radiator Caps for Automobiles, of which the ,following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to an improved ornamental radiator cap for automobiles and is designed primarily to meet such conditions as are found in and about the filler neck of the Ford automobile. This type of filler neck is threaded interiorly forengagement by a cap with theV result that any closure whether intended to be ornamental or otherwise necessarily protrudes an appreciable distance above the top of the neck and necessarily appears unsightly. This condition is accentuated by reason of the narrow tapered filler neck ofthe Ford automobile. Still another difliculty encountered in applying special caps to filler necks of radiators, whetherof this or other types, is to insure their retention in the desired predetermined relation to the radiator or other proximate l part, when the cap is screwed home. For instance, ornamental caps, as now -commonly found on the market, include diametrically extending` arms which facilitate retention of the cap and contributeto the ornamental `appearance of the cap, but these arms,'when the cap is screwed home, must extend transversely of the radiator if the desired effect is to be secured. The difficulty of insuring this position with stockcaps applied at random to different cars is obvious@ The principal object of the present invention is to eliminate allof the. objectionable features of ornamental radiator caps as now found and to provide a cap which will be particularly useful with the type of filler neck found on the radiators of Ford cars. More particularly, the invention seeks to provide an ornamental radiator cap which Ymay be secured in engagement with an interiorly threaded filler neck and yet not protrude to any appreciable extent above the top thereof. Further, the invention has for its obj ect to improve the appearance of filler necks of small diameter by associating with the radiator cap a skirt whose proportions in length and' diameter are pleasing to the eye and which will cover the filler neck in whole or in part when the cap is applied. Still another object of the invention is to associate with an ornamental radiator cap a threaded adapter whose angular relation to the cap may be quickly and conveniently changed in order to change the angular relation which the cap will have to the ller neck when the former is screwed home. A further general object of the invention is to provide an improved ornament-al radiator cap which shall be of simple and inexpensiveJ construction, easy of adjustment for proper application to different cars and of a very pleasing appearance. Other incidental objects of the. invention will appear at greater length hereinafter in connection with the detailed description of the embodiment of the cap shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure l is a view in plan of a cap embodying the invention, parts being broken away to show the method of engaging the skirt with the body of the cap.

Figure 2 is a view intransverse section through the interiorly threaded filler neck to which the cap of Figure l is shown as applied.

While it will be evident to one skilled in the art'v that some of the improvements to be described particularly hereinafter may7 find embodiment in a construction in which some of the parts are made as stampings, in the preferred form (illustrated in the drawing), a cap and the threaded adapter therefor are formed as die castings. This fact will account in part for some of the features of design and will indicate to one skilled in the art that any change in the vmethod of manufacture may find corresponding changes in details of design.

The body (tof the cap is cast integral withrdiametrically extending arms a, the general appearance of the cap conforming to others now known. Heretofore, however, when such caps were made for application to filler necks b, such as is illustrated in Figure 2, it was necessary to provide them with a depending annulus threaded exteriorly 'for engagement with the interior threads 7) in the neck. The result ot this relationship necessarily was that the body ot the cap a was placed entirely above the neck b, thereby present-ing an association ot' parts which was wholly out of proportion. This unsightly condition was further accentuated by reason oit the comparatively small diameter ot the exposed neck Z1. Unc of the principal objects ot the present invention is to do away with this condition by providing a construction in which the cap may be threaded well down over the neck and not protrude appreciably above it, and in which, if desired, the neck might bewliolly or in part covered by a skirt, suoli as c, ot pleasing proportions as regards length and diameter. To this end, the cap a is cast with an annular recess a2 in the underside of its body ot such diameter as to tit down loosely over the iiller neck of the radiator. The wall of this recess may be cast with an annular groove a3 to facilitate the convenient and ineXpensive attachment to the cap of the skirt c. This attachment is made by placing the skirt c in snug engagement with the wall of the recess a2 and then stamping dimples c therein at appropriate intervals for loose engagement with the groove a3 ot the cap. These dimples prevent longitudinal displacement ot the skirt c with respect to the cap, but permit free rotative movement therebetween for reasons which will appear later. If it were considered desirable to do so, the skirt c might be omitted, but in the preferred embodiment of the invention which is designed primarily for use on a Ford automobile the most pleasing results in appearance will be secured by attaching a skirt ot the character shown to the cap so that the iller neck will be enclosed when the cap is applied.

The improved means for engaging the cap with the interiorly threaded filler neck constitute one of the important features of the invention. Such means comprise an exteriorly threaded adapter Z which is of such diameter as to permit it to be engaged with the interior-ly threaded neck 6. in the preferred form this adapter CZ is recessed centrally, as at d, the outline of the recess being irregular, in the illustrated form, octagonal. A boss a4 ot similar outline is cast on the inner face oit' the cap L and enters the recess d freely, but with such an engagement as to prevent relative rotation between the adapter (l and the cap a. The adapter Z Amay be secured to the cap a by means ot a threaded stud e passing centrally through both of the parts, but it is to be understood that other secui ing means, such as the threaded stem of a motometer or other device or ornamentation might serve the same purpose. This threaded stud e merely prevents axial displacement oft the adapter d with respect to the cap a, while the irregularly shaped boss at within the irregl'llarly shaped recess d prevents relative rotation between the two parts when the cap is threaded on to the neck The etlect of the construction described is that the cap may be threaded well down over the neck Z) and not protrude appreciably above it since the adapted d is threaded down into the neck Z) and acts as the securing element for the cap. The result is a very ornamental and pleasing eiect since the cap is brought'into proper relation with the neck. Further, this condition is enhanced by the skirt c which vtits down over the neck Z) either wholly or in part and moves into place when the cap is threaded on. lt will be noted in this connection that the filler neck b is tapered and the lower edge of the skirt c may therefore be forced down into snug engagement with this tapered neck, the problem of snug i'ltting being solved by this relationship. Another result achieved is that if it happens that the arms a do not lie transversely o't the radiator when the adapter d is screwed tully home, that is, when the upper edge of the neck Z) engages the inner tace of the cap, the cap may be immediately removed and the angular relation between the adapter d and the cap changed by backing out the stud e and rotating the adapter l with relation to the cap to agreater or less extent, and then re-engaging the adapter (Z with the boss a4 when the parts are in the desired angular relation. rThe cap is then threaded on to the neck again and it will be found that when the parts are home the arms a Will be brought into the desired relation with respect to the radiator or, at least, that by trying the adjustment described once or twice the exact relation can be obtained. A. further advantage of the relation of parts is that with the cap seated on the upper edge of the neck b a watertight union is insured.

As indicated hereinbefore manufacturing considerations may dictate other designs than that shown and variations in proportions, dimensions, materials an-d arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, provided the desired results are secured by means which function in substantially the manner pointed out herein 4and fall within the language of the appended claims.

l claim as my invention:

l. As an article of manufacture a radiator cap having its body recessed on the inner tace to receive the interiorly threaded tiller neck ot a radiator, an adapter having eX- terior threads to engage the threads of the. filler neck to secure the cap to the neck, means to secure the adapter to the cap, a

skirt extending into the recess and overlying the filler neck, and means to secure the skirt permanently to the cap.

2. A radiator cap having its body recessed 5 on the inner face to receive the interiorly threaded iller neck of a radiator, an adapter having exterior threads to engage the threads of the filler neck, means to secure the adapter to the cap, and a skirt extending into the recess and secured to the cap, and means to secure the skirt to the cap with capacity for relative rotative movement therebetween.

This specication signed this 14th day of August A. D. 1922.

HENRY YERBURY HOOPER. 

